Steps to Become a Host
Hosting is Biblical Hospitality in action!
Becoming a Host with Refuge Host Homes happens through a carefully designed process to ensure that you are well prepared for all that hosting involves. You can expect it to take about 1-2 months to work your way through the steps but it is self-paced so the timing is completely up to you!
1. Initial Phone Screening
The first step is to talk with the Host Home Coordinator. Give us a call at 330-227-4733 or send an email to emilieoxley@refugehosthomes.org to schedule a phone conversation.
2. Complete Application Forms
Everyone hates paperwork, luckily we don’t have too much of it! You just need to fill out an Application, Statement of Faith and Background Check Release. We’ll run a background check and ask for three references. We will also need a copy of your Driver's License and proof of Home owner’s/Renters Insurance.
3. Interview with Host Homes Coordinator
The next step is an interview in your home with our Host Homes Coordinator. We want to get to know you and your family and talk more in depth about the program. This is an opportunity for us to learn about your life and relay the details of the Host Home Experience. We need to get a sense of what your dynamic is at home so that we’ll be able to identify a good fit for you down the road.
4. Trainings and Orientation
Next, you will work through our training curriculum which focuses on trauma-informed care and biblical hospitality. This includes about 15 hours of in-person training, 10 hours of a Netflix mini-series, and 5 hours of a combination of independent reading, individual meetings with the Host Home Coordinator and our Trainer, and creating your Hosting Tools.
5. Home Inspection
The last onboarding step is the home inspection. This quick check-in helps us to ensure that the space is safe and has the required components, such as a spare bedroom for the Mother, a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and working smoke detectors. If you’re missing something small from our checklist, don’t worry, you can fix it prior to a participant moving in.
6. Meet and Greet
Now that you’ve completed the onboarding process, we will contact you about meeting with a potential mother! When we have someone on our referral list who we think would be a good fit for you, our Host Home Coordinator will set up a meet and greet. Both parties will be able to ask questions to get to know each other and see if it feels like a match. After the meeting, our Host Home Coordinator will contact you both separately to see what you think. If everyone agrees, the steps towards move-in begin. However, if either side feels uncomfortable, the process will halt. We want your honest feelings, and will never move forward if it isn’t the right fit for either party.
7. Move-In
Our Host Home Coordinator will coordinate with you and the Mother about move-in, whether transportation needs to be arranged, as well as any items that they are bringing to the house. We’re here to help you in any way we can! Thank you for stepping into the life of a Mother and Baby who needs to know Jesus’s love in a deeply personal way.